Clearer suction head mounting



July 1, 1958 w. w. HEWITT CLEARER SUCTION HEAD MOUNTING Filed June 15, 1956 INVENTOR:

WOOVEOW \ml HEWITT.

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ATTORNEYS United States Patent C i ce CLEARER SUCTION HEAD MOUNTING Woodrow W. Hewitt, Charlotte, N. C., assignor to Spinsavac Corporation, Charlotte, N. C., a corporation of North Carolina Application June 15, 1956, Serial No. 591,592

6 Claims. (Cl. 19139) This invention relates to improved means for mount ing a suction head of a vacuum clearing system adjacent the front rolls of textile drafting machines, such as spinning frames, drawing frames and the like. The present invention is particularly concerned with improvements in apparatus disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 546,216, filed November 10, 1955 and entitled Suction Head Mounting for Textile Machinery, of which this application is a continuation-in-part.

The apparatus for mounting each suction head, disclosed in said copending application, comprises a pair of brackets fixed to the proximal surfaces of corresponding roll stands and each bracket has a leaf spring member fixed thereto which extends rearwardly from the bracket and then forwardly in the form of a loop. The lower portion or reach of the leaf spring member extends forwardly of the bracket and-has an arm adjustably secured to its forward end which arm extends upwardly and forwardly at an angle and is universally attached to a flanged closure cap for the corresponding end of the tubular suction head. The leaf spring members are so biased as to urge the suction head upwardly and to urge the corresponding closure caps inwardly to maintain the flanged closure caps in the corresponding ends of the suction head and to thereby facilitate removal of the closure caps from the suction heads, when desired. The leaf spring member facilitates lowering the suction head away from the draft ing rolls for piecing broken ends, etc.

It has been found that the arms on the forward ends of the leaf spring members can be omitted and it is an object of this invention to provide a suction head mounting of the character described, of simple and economical construction, and wherein the forward end of each leaf spring member has a suspension pivot pin attached thereto which loosely fits in a cavity formed in the outer end of the corresponding closure cap.

It is another object of this invention to provide a suction head mounting wherein the outer end of each closure cap has a stud threaded axially thereinto and provided with a cavity in its outer end and wherein the suspension pivot pin has a shoulder thereon whereby the suspension pivot pin fits in the cavity in the stud or pin holder and the shoulder on the pivot pin bears against the outer surface of the stud.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated,

other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a somewhat schematic front elevation showing a portion of a textile drafting machine equipped with a suction head and the improved mounting unit therefor;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 22 in Figure 1 showing the suction head in raised or operative position and showing a set of top rolls resting upon the bottom rolls;

Figure 3 is a enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially-along line 3-3 in Figure 2 and illus- 2,840,863 Patented July 1, 1958 trating the means for pivotally connecting the forward end of one of the leaf spring members to the closure cap at one end of the suction head;

Figure 4 is an elevation of the mountingunit shown in Figure 2 removed from the roll stand and showing the resilient link or leaf spring member in its relaxed state;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the mounting unit shown in Figure 4. I

Referring more specifically to the drawings, and more particularly Figures 1 and 2, the numeral 10 indicates the frame or girt of a textile drafting machine, such as a spinning frame, slubber, twister, roving frame, drawing frame or the like, which supports a plurality of roll stands 11. The roll stands 11 accommodate lower or bottom rolls 12, 13, 14 which have corresponding upper rolls 15, 16 and 17. Only the front bottom roll 14 is shown in Figure l.

The present invention resides in improved means for supporting a tubular cleaning conduit or suction head 20 which has a plurality of longitudinally spaced slots or orifices 21 therein, each of which is positioned adjacent a corresponding boss on the front bottom roll 14. A medial portion of the suction head 20 has a lateral downwardly and rearwardly projecting tubular portion or extension 23 thereon which is connected to one end of a branch pipe or conduit 24 which leads to a suitable suction duct, not shown. The conduit 24 may be connected to any suitable suction means and an illustration and de-,

scription thereof is deemed unnecessary.

It is apparent that a suction head 20 is provided for each roll section and one of the branch conduits 24 is provided for each suction head 20. Suction iscreated in the suction head 20 by the suction means connected to conduit 24 which results in air being drawn into the' slots 21 to carry away lint, loose fibers and other foreign matter which may tend to accumulate on the bosses of said roll stands 11, there is provided a pair of mounting units, each of which is broadly designated at 30. The

mounting units 30 adjacent opposite ends of the suction head 20 are identical except being opposite hand and,

accordingly, only the mounting unit 30 at the left-hand side of Figure 1, which is also shown in Figures 2 through 5, will be described in detail.

Each mounting unit comprises a substantially L-shaped bracket or angle clip 31 which is suitably secured, as by. a screw 32, to the side of one roll stand 11, nearest the corresponding suction head 20. The bracket is preferably provided with an adjustment slot 33 through which the screw 32 extends to facilitate adjustment of the mounting unit 36 forwardly and rearwardly relative to the drafting rolls, and arcuately about the screw 32. The forward upper portion or reach 34 of a leaf spring member or resilient link, broadly designated at 35, is suitably secured to, the horizontal flange or portion of the angle clip 31. The leaf spring member or resilient'link 35 is preferably in the form of a thin strip of flexible metal, such as spring steel, and is bent in the form of a loop 36, rearwardly of the upper reach 34 thereof, to serve somewhat in the manner of a torsion spring.

The loop 36 curves through an arc of approximately two-hundred seventy degrees and, when in its relaxed state, a lower reach 37 of the leaf spring member 35 extends inwardly of the upper reach and upwardly past in Figure '2, is biased upwardly toward the lower flange" 3 of the bracket' 31 and is also biased inwardly toward the corresponding end of the suction head 20. Thelower reach 37 of the leaf spring member 35 is of substantially greater length than the upper reach 34 thereof and terminatesforwardly of thefixed end of the upper reach 34 of the leaf spring member 35. The free forward end of the portion or reach 37 ofthe leaf spring member 35- is formed into a relatively small loop or eye portion 40 in which one end portion 41 of a suspension pin, broadly designated at 42, is secured, as'by being pressed thereinto.

A medial portion of the suspension pivot pin 42 is enlarged to form a flange 43 and the other end of the pivot pin, remote from the portion 41, has a reduced portion 44 thereon whose free end is preferably rounded as shown in Figures 3 and 5. Each end of the tubular suction head 20' is closed by a closure cap 50 having a reduced body portion 51 which is shaped to loosely fit. in or. conform to the shape of the suction head 20.

In other words, the reduced body portion 51 of each closure cap 50 is also substantially tear-shaped in crosssection. It is apparent that the closure caps 50 prevent air from flowing into opposite ends of the suction head so it only flows through the slots 21 adjacent the bosses of the bottom roll 14. The inner surface of the reduced body portion 51 of each closure cap 50 is preferably inclined inwardly within the suction head away from, the

endmost slot 31, as. shown at 53, to thereby prevent turbulence of air. as it is drawn through the endmost slots 21 into the suction head 20.

In the suction head mounting disclosed in said copending application, a bracket and leaf spring member similar to the bracket 31 and leaf spring member 35 shown in the present drawing was used. However, the closure caps of said copending application are connected to the forward ends of the leaf spring members by means of rigid arms whose lower ends are fixed to the free forward ends of the leaf spring members and whose upper ends are universally connected to the corresponding closure caps.

Now,.the present invention primarily resides in connecting the forward ends of the leaf spring members 35 directly to the outer ends of the closure caps, including the suspension pivot pin 42. To this end, each of the closure caps 50 has a pivot pin holder 55 fixed in its outer end, the pivot pin holder preferably being in the form of a screw threaded into the outer end of the corresponding closure cap 50 and which screw 55 is provided with a bore or cavity 56 for slidably or loosely receiving the reduced journal portion 44 of the corresponding suspension pivot pin 42. Since the free ends of the portions 37 of the leaf spring members 35 are biased inwardly towards each other, it is apparent that the shoulders or flanges 43 on the suspension pivot pins 42 resiliently engage the outer ends or heads of the corresponding screws or pivot pin holders 50 as shown in Figure 3.

It is thus seen that I have provided a simple, eflicient and economically constructed suction head mounting for the suction head wherein the leaf spring members need only be moved apart from each other to facilitate insertion of a suction head therebetween and, when the leaf spring members are released, they will move inwardly toward each other and the journal portions 44 of the pivot pin 42 will then enter the cavities 56 in the corresponding screws or pivot pin holders 55 so the suction head 20 may be rotated about the pivot pins 42 but will remain in any position to which it is moved, due to the frictional contact of the enlarged portions 43 of the pivot pins 42 with the outer ends of the screws or pivot pin holders 55. V

The pivot pin holders 55 may be omitted and the. caviti'es 56 formed in the closure. caps 50. for slidably or loosely receiving the journal portions 44 of the corre I sponding pivot pins 42, if desired. However, in the interest'of weight and economy, the closure caps 50 are preferably made from a light-weight plastic material and, therefore, it is preferred that a pivot pin holder of substantially the character described be used in the manner described.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for. purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a'cleaning system having a tubular suction head for the rolls of a textile machine and each end of the suction head being closed, in combination, a leaf spring member for each end of the suction head, means to secure one end of each member to a fixed part of the machine rearwardly of the suction head, each member extending rearwardly from said means, then curving forwardly and terminating adjacent the corresponding end of said suction head, a screw threaded into each closed end of the suction head and having a cavity in its outer end, and a pin carried by the forward end of each member and being loosely journaled in the cavity in the screw in the corresponding closed end of the suction head.

2. A structure according to claim 1 wherein the forward portion, at least, of each spring member is biased toward the corresponding closed end of the suction head, and an enlarged portion on the pin for frictionally engaging the outer end of the corresponding screw.

3. Apparatus for mounting tubular suction heads of vacuum cleaning systems adjacent textile drafting. rolls mounted on roll stands comprising a bracket for each end of a suction head, means connecting said brackets to the proximal surfaces of adjacent roll stands, a resilient leaf spring member having one end connected to each of said brackets, each leaf spring member extending rearwardly and then forwardly in the form of a loop to form a lower reach whose forward end terminates forwardly of said bracket, the free ends of said lower reaches being normally biased upwardly and toward each other, a flanged closure cap for each end of the suction head and having a reduced body portion loosely fitting in. the suction head, a pin holder fixed in the outer end of each closure cap and having an axially extending cavitytherein, and the free end of the lower reach of each leaf spring member having a pivot pin projecting therefrom and fitting in the cavity in the corresponding holder.

4. Apparatus for mounting tubular suction heads of vacuum cleaning systems adjacent textile drafting rolls mounted on roll stands comprising a bracket for each end of a suction head, means connecting said brackets to the proximal surfaces of adjacent roll stands, a resilient leaf spring member having one end connected to each of said brackets, each leaf spring member extendin'g' rearwardly and then forwardly in the form of a loop to form a lower reach whose forward end terminates forwardly of said bracket, the free ends of said lower reaches being normally biased upwardly toward each other, a flanged closure cap for each end of the suction head and having a reduced body portion loosely fitting in the suction head, the outer end of each closure cap having an axially extending cavity therein, and the free end of the lower reach of each leaf spring member having'a pivot pin projecting therefrom and fitting in the cavity in the. corresponding cap.

5. Apparatus for mounting tubular suction heads of vacuum cleaning. systems adjacent textile drafting rolls 'mounted on roll stands comprising a bracket for each end of a suction head, means connecting said brackets to the Proximal surfaces of adjacent roll stands, a resilient leaf spring member having one end connected to each of said brackets, each leaf spring member extending rearwardly and then forwardly in the form of a loop to form a lower reach whose forward end terminates forwardly of said bracket, the free ends of said lower reaches being normally biased upwardly and toward each other, a flanged closure cap for each end of the suction head and having a reduced body portion loosely fitting in the suction head, the outer end of each closure cap having an axially extending cavity therein, the free end of the lower reach of each leaf spring member having a pivot pin fixed thereto and projecting laterally therefrom, said pin having a flange intermediate its ends, and the free end of each pin fitting in the cavity in the corresponding cap whereby the flange thereof bears against the outer end of the corresponding cap.

6. Apparatus for mounting tubular suction heads of vacuum cleaning systems adjacent drafting rolls of a textile machine comprising a leaf spring member for each end of a suction head, means to secure one end of each member to a fixed part of the machine rearwardly of the corresponding suction head, each leaf spring member extending rearwardly from said means and then forwardly in the form of a loop to form a lower reach whose forward end terminates forwardly of said means, the free ends of said lower reaches being normally biased upwardly and toward each other, a flanged closure cap for each end of the suction head and having a reduced portion loosely fitting in the suction head, the outer end of each closure cap having an axially extending cavity therein, and the free end of the lower reach of each leaf spring member having a pivot pin projecting therefrom and fitting in the cavity in the corresponding cap.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 501,924 Belgium Mar. 31, 1951 665,201 Great Britain Jan. 16, 1952 677,071 Great Britain Aug. 6, 1952 

